Geography and Data Sources
Data in this section are presented at various geographic levels( ZIP code and / or county) to describe the Washoe County population, depending on data availability. ZIP code data may reveal differences in outcomes across the county that would be otherwise masked by countylevel data. When available, comparisons of state and / or national values are also provided.
All demographic estimates are sourced from Claritas Pop-Facts( 2025 population estimates) and American Community Survey five-year( 2019-2023) estimates, unless otherwise indicated.
Income
Income is strongly associated with morbidity and mortality, influencing health through clinical, behavioral, social, and environmental factors. For example, a lower income limits one’ s ability to pay for healthcare and health insurance, which may limit an individual’ s ability to obtain regular, routine care. Living in a lower-income neighborhood may limit one’ s access to secure housing, nutritious foods, and a safe community. 5 In contrast, those with greater wealth are more likely to have a higher life expectancy and reduced risk of a range of health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and stroke. 6 This financial burden means that lowincome individuals may forgo routine screenings and preventive care, delaying the detection of conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease until they have progressed to more advanced and costly stages.
5
U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Healthy People 2030. https:// odphp. health. gov / healthypeople / priority-areas / social-determinants-health / literaturesummaries / poverty
6
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Health, Income, and Poverty. https:// www. rwjf. org / en / insights / ourresearch / 2018 / 10 / health--income-and-poverty-where-we-are-and-what-could-help. html
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